Return of The Piemaker

The Piemaker wasn’t exactly gone, although I wouldn’t blame him if he disappeared for a good long while. He just got completely buried by work for a couple of months. Those of us who are unemployed tend to forget that the ones who are left on the job are forced to take on gargantuan workloads, while carrying the weight of survivor guilt. The Piemaker is fully aware that his situation is better than that of his fallen comrades, but it doesn’t make the 12-hour days or the working weekends any easier. Currently he is performing five part-time functions in addition to his own full-time job.

With all that, it was a real treat for him to return to our world long enough to make a pie.  

Piemaker pie



Southern Living pie

The June issue of Southern Living was not exactly scant on pie options, but we had trouble agreeing on what to make. There were several mouthwatering citrus pie recipes, but I am reluctant to buy citrus in the off season since we have such an overabundance during the winter. The Piemaker was pushing for Peanut Butter-Banana pie, but even the thought of it made me gag and I expressed that to him in a series of dramatic performances. I liked the look of the Strawberry-Pretzel Pie, and although he had his doubts, I eventually converted him to my way of thinking after quietly mentioning it about fifty times a day.

It is basically just another twist on the standard frozen strawberry dessert, but it far surpasses the quick-n-easy version made with that waxy “whipped topping” that comes in a plastic tub.

The cream component of the pie comes from cream cheese, condensed milk, and gelatin, which makes for a very dense texture. The two cups of strawberries are the only other ingredient, so the main flavor you get is STRAWBERRY!

The pretzel crust has a nice crunchy texture but is not noticeably pretzel-flavored. Broken down into their components, pretzels are just flour, water, and salt, which are three main ingredients of any crumb-style crust. With the added butter and sugar, it tastes just like a crunchy cookie crust with a hint of salt.

Recipe here

One thing to know in advance: the pie needs to freeze for 8 to 12 hours to solidify, so plan ahead.

We enjoyed this cool and refreshing treat on a day when the thermometer reached 111 (44 C). If you don’t already have a favorite recipe for a frozen strawberry pie, this one is worth a try. And, if you feel that you just can’t get enough strawberry pie, I also recommend this one.

What delicious delicacies have you whipped up recently?

Katrina